


Safety or Insanity?

by aerinuh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baekhyun is a powerful person here, But only side character so chill, Established Relationship, Illusions, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Multiverse, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Referenced violence, you were warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25010980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerinuh/pseuds/aerinuh
Summary: Jongdae wakes up from a nightmare and the first thing he looks for is Baekhyun.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 16
Kudos: 85
Collections: Challenge #4 — Into the Future





	Safety or Insanity?

**Author's Note:**

> I dedicate this fic to the mods; the fest is a nice and thrilling experience. I can't wait to join the others. My beta, I'm running out of dedication messages to you but you know you're the absolute best and I love you very much.
> 
> This is not a happy fic but it's also not a sad ending. The powers of the EXO members here are like the ones they have on MAMA but on steroids.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Everything’s warm – no, it’s hot. Too hot. Hot enough for sweat to trickle down his forehead and drench his clothes.

Everything’s red.

“Jongdae?” He hears somewhere far away. Faint but it’s there.

He tries to call back, but thick black smoke invades his lungs.

_Something’s burning._

He hears laughter; loud and sharp, menacing. It makes his entire body tremble despite the fire that’s surrounding him, the cold that creeps on his back ebbs from his soul. It’s unnerving how familiar the laughter sounds.

Like, it’s something he hears growing up.

“Jongdae?” He hears the voice once again, but it still feels so far away.

The laughter gets drowned out by screams, loud and desperate wails of agony. Asking for help, screaming for mercy. He can hear his own heart grow wilder – silencing the screams and the laughter.

_Someone’s burning._

And the laughter grows louder, ringing against his ears.

He feels his throat rip from the scream he gives when he realizes the laughter is his.

“Jongdae?” And then he opens his eyes wide with a sharp inhale. His breath labored and his heart feels like it’s going to jump out of his chest. He attempts to get his breathing back. He then pushes his head at the backrest of the couch, he might have fallen asleep at the living room again, he closes his eyes.

 _The nightmares are getting a little bearable now_ , he thinks to himself.

“You okay there, buddy?” A cold palm presses against his forehead and it makes him jump on his seat. He opens his eyes, only to blink once or twice to get used to the harsh lighting. Once his vision clears, Jongdae gasps at the sight in front of him.

It’s Lu Han.

Looking at him with eyes that are filled with worry and concern. His face is unblemished and clean, _alive_. It has been years, but he knows it’s Lu Han.

“You were having a nightmare,” Lu Han tells him, his voice sweet and almost innocent. And Jongdae’s heart begins to skyrocket once again. A brand-new wave of panic crashes against his bones.

None of this makes sense. He keeps on thinking that maybe he’s having another nightmare but Lu Han’s palm feels so real.

 _Lu Han shouldn’t be here_.

“Jong—”

“Where’s Baekhyun?!” Jongdae rasps out, his demand takes Lu Han by surprise. The expression quickly goes away when he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Jongdae blinks a couple of times to take in the other’s full appearance. It’s weird to see him dressed in what looks like cotton soft clothes, clothes that are similar to what Jongdae is also wearing, rather than their usual uniforms. “You two are so obsessed with each other it’s so disgusting that it’s starting to become endearing.”

“Lu Han—”

“It’s hyung for you,” the other clicks his tongue and then he nudges his head towards the other door. “I think he’s in the other room, with the younger members.”

Jongdae leaves the room in seconds, his mind feels like it’s compressing together and his surroundings are starting to spin around him. This always happens when Baekhyun pulls something like this…

He opens the door to the room beside theirs and he’s greeted with the chorus of laughter and giggles. He immediately freezes when he hears a particular laugh, it’s deep and a bit airy. So distinct and unique that Jongdae could recognize it in an instant. How can he not when it’s the exact same voice in his dream, the only difference is that in his dream it was screaming.

He sees Baekhyun at the center of the ruckus, making the younger ones break into hysterics. His face blemish-free; without a single scar on sight.

But, Jongdae’s eyes remain focused on Zitao – how joyful and alive he looks. A stark contrast to Jongdae’s dream. “Baekhyun,” His voice is quiet and he can feel his soul deteriorating with each passing second. “Baekhyun,” He calls louder this time, but it goes unnoticed once again. “Baekhyun!” Everyone stops and stares at Jongdae, his lover finally looks at him with a wide smile on his face.

Jongdae feels like he’s passing out, with his heart beating harder than it ever was. “This needs to stop,” he breathes out and everyone in the room looks at him in confusion. Everyone except for Baekhyun.

The other walks to him and begins, “Remember those nights where we sing to each other to sleep and would always say that we should sing more often? Well in here we sing together every day, baby! It’s our job! We have millions of fans and Chanyeol— hey, why? Are you crying, love?”

Baekhyun immediately cups his face, his thumbs wiping off the wet hot tears tainting Jongdae’s cheeks. “You need to stop this Baekhyunnie,” Jongdae whimpers through his clogged-up throat.

The other only shakes his head, “I will never stop protecting you, Jongdae.” Baekhyun leans over to kiss his forehead. “We’re safer here. You don’t see it yet, but you need to trust me on this one.”

Jongdae wraps his arms around Baekhyun and quietly says, “I’m sorry, love,” before he sends a small dose of electricity to the other’s body.

Barely enough to knock him out.

Jongdae closes his eyes shut and holds into Baekhyun’s unconscious body. He waits for a few moments before he opens his eyes and finds themselves in the living room of their headquarters. He lays Baekhyun on the couch and sits on the floor beside him.

In this universe, they’re not singers – they’re guardians. Guardians who fought and won against the battle with the red force. The long-standing battle that cost the lives of billions of people. That made them face the games of death far too many times. That caused Baekhyun to create thousands of different realities in exchange for his own sanity.

All in the effort to run away from their own reality.

All in the effort to keep Jongdae safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing a world-building post-apocalyptic fic under 1k words is so hard. I wanted to expound the story more. So, think of this as a teaser to a 5k long fic? I kind of like to play around Baekhyun and Jongdae's powers a little more.
> 
> Leave me a kudos and comment if you enjoyed it.


End file.
